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Geography is not destiny: geography, institutions and literacy in England, 1837–63

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  • Gregory Clark
  • Rowena Gray

Abstract

Geography made rural society in the southeast of England unequal. Economies of scale in grain growing created a farmer elite and many landless labourers. In the pastoral northwest, in contrast, family farms dominated, with few hired labourers and modest income disparities. Did this geography driven difference in social structure influence educational outcomes in England 1810–45? Using new micro-level data we show that this geographically driven inequality is not a strong predictor of regional literacy rates. We conclude that regional literacy differences seem to have been influenced more by culture. In particular, areas in northern England with more exposure to the highly literate Scottish society seem to have acquired a higher demand for education, independent of local inequality. Geography is not destiny.

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  • Gregory Clark & Rowena Gray, 2014. "Geography is not destiny: geography, institutions and literacy in England, 1837–63," Oxford Economic Papers, Oxford University Press, vol. 66(4), pages 1042-1069.
    • Handle: RePEc:oup:oxecpp:v:66:y:2014:i:4:p:1042-1069.
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    File URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10.1093/oep/gpu020
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    Cited by:

    1. Sharp, Paul & Boberg-Fazlic, Nina & Lampe, Markus & Martinelli Lasheras, Pablo, 2020. "Winners and Losers from Enclosure: Evidence from Danish Land Inequality 1682-1895," CEPR Discussion Papers 14616, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    2. Stefania Galli & Klas Rönnbäck, 2021. "Land distribution and inequality in a black settler colony: the case of Sierra Leone, 1792–1831," Economic History Review, Economic History Society, vol. 74(1), pages 115-137, February.
    3. Francesco Cinnirella & Erik Hornung, 2016. "Land Inequality, Education, and Marriage: Empirical Evidence from Nineteenth-Century Prussia," CESifo Working Paper Series 6072, CESifo.
    4. Andersson, Jens & Berger, Thor, 2016. "Elites and the Expansion of Education in 19th-century Sweden," Lund Papers in Economic History 149, Lund University, Department of Economic History.
    5. Boberg-Fazlić, Nina & Lampe, Markus & Martinelli Lasheras, Pablo & Sharp, Paul, 2022. "Winners and losers from agrarian reform: Evidence from Danish land inequality 1682–1895," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 155(C).
    6. Beltrán Tapia, Francisco J. & Martinez-Galarraga, Julio, 2018. "Inequality and education in pre-industrial economies: Evidence from Spain," Explorations in Economic History, Elsevier, vol. 69(C), pages 81-101.
    7. David Mitch, 2012. "Landed society, farm size and support for public schooling in 19th-century England," Working Papers 12014, Economic History Society.
    8. Modalsli, Jørgen, 2018. "The regional dispersion of income inequality in nineteenth-century Norway," Explorations in Economic History, Elsevier, vol. 67(C), pages 62-79.
    9. David Mitch, 2010. "Did high stakes testing policies result in divergence or convergence in educational performance and financing across counties in Victorian England?," Working Papers 10011, Economic History Society.

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